WND EXCLUSIVE

Republican snubs Mexican prez for holding U.S. Marine

Skips governor's honorary luncheon to join protest outside mansion

Ann-Marie Murrell is the original anchor, CEO and editor-in-chief of PolitiChicks.com, which was nominated at CPAC 2013 as the "People's Choice Blogger of the Year." Murrell received Front Page Magazine's Glazov Gang Ronald Reagan Award for 2013. She has appeared on the Dr. Phil Show, Fox News, BlazeTV, the Dennis Prager Show, and she is a regular commentator and guest host on The Rick Amato Show and Front Page Magazine's Glazov Gang. Murrell co-authored "What Women (Really) Want" with Morgan Brittany and Dr. Gina Loudon – which will be released in early September.

Instead of accepting an invitation from California Gov. Jerry Brown to attend a luncheon honoring the president of Mexico at the governor’s mansion, a Republican state assemblyman will lead a protest at the official residence during the event in support of a U.S. Marine held captive south of the border.

Brown, a Democrat, will hold the luncheon honoring Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on Aug. 26.

Assemblyman Tim Donnelly was invited to the event, but he delivered a scathing response to Brown on Monday regarding the continued imprisonment of Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, which he exclusively shared with WND.

State Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Calif.

Tahmooressi, who served two combat tours of duty in Afghanistan, has been in jail since March after driving near the Mexican border and getting caught in a traffic lane that prevented him from making a U-turn back to the U.S.

He was jailed in Mexico because he was carrying his personal weapons, which although legal in the U.S., are illegal in Mexico.

Donnelly’s letter states: “I am writing to decline your luncheon invitation, and to express my deep disappointment that you would entertain the president of a nation that is holding an active-duty U.S. Marine captive.”

Referring to Brown’s July 27 trip to Mexico, Donnelly writes: “How you could visit Mexico and not publicly demand the release of Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, is beyond me. … Instead of visiting our imprisoned Marine, you were feted by his captors.”

Donnelly also references the influx of illegal aliens in California.

“You care more about the comfort of those who have illegally entered our country than you do for your own countrymen,” he writes. “You have spent endless billions of taxpayer dollars provided by the legal citizens of California to make certain that illegal aliens feel comfortable in our state.”

He cited several laws granting illegal aliens benefits such as free college and allowing them to practice law.

“When it comes to fighting for the rights of an American, you’re too tired from fighting for the rights of the only constituents you truly represent, elitists, illegals, and public sector union bosses,” he says.

Donnelly plans to hold the protest outside the gates of the governor’s mansion.

“I know that my absence may distress you, but it may comfort you to know that I’ll be standing outside leading a protest, doing the job you should have done as the highest elected official in California: demanding the release of one of our own, our Marine, Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi.”

He adds: “You are welcome to join us if your conscience bothers you.”

In a phone interview with WND, Donnelly explained why he declined the invitation.

“I can’t in good conscience share a meal with the governor and the president of Mexico unless they plan to bring back our Marine. If Andrew Tahmooressi is not being brought back to this country as part of the Mexican delegation meeting with our governor, I refuse to participate.”

Donnelly said he will create a Facebook events page for the protest, and he plans to heavily promote it on Twitter and other social media.

“I’m sure Gov. Brown thought he would have a nice, quiet meal,” Donnelly said, “but we hope to change all that. This may be our only chance to show Gov. Brown and the president of Mexico how many Americans care about and support the release of Marine Sgt. Tahmooressi.”

The protest will be held Aug. 26 at 11:15 a.m. at the front entrance of the Leland Stanford Mansion, 800 N. Street, Sacramento.